Burma Shavings

It was about as far back as my memory goes, back when I was practicing my phonics on Burma Shave signs. My family unit rolled out of Rolla, leaving Route 66 in our rearview mirror, headed for the springs. Our … Read More

Turtle

 Morning rush hour murders your nerves. Worse for turtles. I saw one the other day, stranded on the center line of a busy expressway. He was upside down, legs fully extended, grasping at the sky. His chances for survival were … Read More

A Roll of the Dice

Leaving Tuscumbia is still an adventure on the back roads. No less than five swinging bridges aid in connecting Miller County.  Four can support your car, if you’re brave.  The fifth supports your drinking habit.  I knew about the good … Read More

The Pits and the Pinnacles

I drove a couple of miles north to a geologic marvel, a naturally sculpted breathtaker called the Pinnacles Youth Park. Like the name suggests, the featured attractions are the Pinnacles themselves, 80-foot limestone towers carved by water and wind, pointing … Read More

There’s a reason it’s called Blue Spring.

Many floaters miss the stunning blue water of Blue Spring, even though it’s only a quarter mile from the Current River, an easy hike beside the spring’s rushing stream. The water’s vivid color comes from dissolved limestone suspended in this … Read More

Ride with the Devil

In new Pattonsburg’s Old Memories Café I found the best blue plate special this side of the senior center. In that café I found something else: murals commemorating Ride with the Devil, painted by Elanor McMahall. The murals are vivid … Read More

Kudzu 66

Get your kicks on Route 66. But at least at this stop, a lube job is out of the question.

Many Springs. One Pole.

Been through hundreds of small towns, none smaller than Many Springs, on Highway 160, so small that the city limit signs are on the same pole, back-to-back.

Wildlife

The forest is full of colorful creatures. Some are easy to see. Others blend in behind their creations. I kept walking…